Monday 24 May 2010
Post Submission Thoughts
So I handed the costume in for submission this morning and I am feeling really disappointed. I don't feel as if I could have worked any harder, 12hours at uni everyday this week is really catching up with me now and yet I don't feel as if I have progressed an awful lot. Thankfully all the lining is in (with the exception of the neckline of the frock coat being pinned in place at the moment) I think this has most definitely been my biggest challenge but I have learnt an awful lot and now appreciate just how much time and precision it takes to get the work done effectively. But seeing it on the stand unfinished knowing that it's going to be assessed like that is actually a very depressing thought. If there's one thing I've learned from this, it is that I really did underestimate the entire unit. I thought 9 weeks would be ample time to produce this work to a high standard, but oh how wrong I was. I do believe the work I have submitted now has been made to a good standard, I just need some peace of mind that my mark will reflect my endless efforts. So submission = a working progress, the end is near..I hope.
SDP Final Evaluation
This project has been a huge learning curve for me. Throughout the unit I have felt extremely privileged to be making this costume for the Wimborne Town Crier. Looking back to November 2009 when Chris Brown came to the studios to show off his 18th Century costume, I knew immediately that I would really enjoy producing a brand new one for him as my Self Directed Project. I thoroughly enjoyed our tailoring unit at that time and decided it was definitely a skill I wanted to carry on practicing in the new future. And so when this opportunity was offered to a second year costume student I thought it was my full responsibility to apply for the job.
When the project started I was very enthusiastic and extremely excited to get the ball rolling. I started doing some general 18th Century research very early on in order to prepare myself for the upcoming months. I was in regular contact with Chris Brown via phone and e-mail and his enthusiasm really encouraged me to make a flying start with the project.
The first week of the project was when I had my first tutorial with Graham and we discussed exactly what I should do to get me started efficiently. To begin with I had happily taken on the task of making a costume for Chris and replica costume for his 11 year old son Eddie. However after a lot of researching, it became quite apparent to me that it really was too much work for me to take on board and accomplish successfully in the nine weeks available. This was when I decided to ask a course mate if they would like to work alongside me and produce the smaller costume. My course mate Kelly had decided to change from design to making for this unit, and so when I suggested it to her, we both believed it would be the perfect challenge for her to find her feet in making again.
Kelly and myself had a meeting with Chris and his son Eddie in the first week of the project. We had both collected a sufficient amount of research to show to the both of them and the four of us felt very confident about the entire unit by the time the meeting had finished. I asked Chris exactly what it was he was expecting from a brand new costume and made a list of requirements and specific features that Chris really wanted. This allowed the project to have a flying start and we began pattern drafting straight away.
I have drafted patterns for all the making units over the past two years now and I really was feeling more and more confident about it this time round. The biggest learning curve this time was working alongside Kelly who had to produce patterns on a much smaller scale. We had to work very closely so that the patterns were identical but on two completely different scales. I think we learned a lot from one another and it was obvious that the team work really contributed to getting the patterns drafted in good time.
I was well on my way with producing the toile and creating my own time schedule really helped me to keep up to date with everything I was doing. This was also something that has benefited me throughout the project. Time management has always been a slight flaw of mine and so I set myself the challenge to follow my own strict timetable. I didn’t feel too confident about achieving this but I’m really pleased to say that I seem to have overcome this challenge and not failed once with this task.
As always I did encounter some problems along the way, the biggest one being the most inconvenient; falling ill. This really did throw a spanner in the works so to speak and unfortunately I fell behind pretty fast. However as soon as recovery was present I wasted no time and got myself straight back into it. By this time the toile fitting had taken place and I had a very successful result and felt confident once again about producing a really good quality costume.
Other lessons learned came from further practicing. Dyeing fabric was another big accomplishment, I’ve felt for a long time that this was something I needed to practice more often, and so when it came to dyeing some expensive Moleskin I believed this to be the perfect opportunity to perfect my skills and now it’s done, I’m feeling confident that I did.
What really helped me with this project was the fact I had made something quite similar to this for Concepts In Context unit. The coat was of a similar cut so I began to understand the period more and more and how features such as pleats should be constructed professionally. However, the processes I used for that unit were nowhere near as complex and precise as what I’ve had to do this time round. When it came to things like linings, I found myself quite frustrated with being able to accomplish it to the best of my abilities. I appreciated Graham’s methods and was eager to learn and practice them the correct way. However this meant yet another learning curve and so the actual process was very time consuming for me and I found myself behind schedule again. Now the lining is fitted and finished I am really pleased with the precision and care I have taken over it, the one thing I have had to keep telling myself is that this isn’t ‘Panto’ and in no respects can be rushed. Never before have I individually made for a client and so I found myself constantly reminding myself just how important it is to use my time effectively and produce work of a very high standard.
Chris would like to think that he will be wearing this costume for the next 5-10 years and so it is vital that every stitch I make is precise, accurate, and strong.
Working for a client is undoubtedly the biggest learning curve for me. Looking at the work and knowing I’m not creating it for myself was hard, very hard, and so I wasn’t able to meet just my own expectations but also those of Chris, my coursemate Kelly and my unit leaders. I have felt incredibly under pressure with this costume. People have recognised me as the maker for the town crier and so this is hugely important to Chris and the community and the university as they have funded the entire project.
This added pressure did unfortunately result in time loss and lack of confidence, but visualising the end result in my mind has always picked me up again and encouraged me to do my upmost best.
Working with my chosen fabrics has been really interesting and again I have learned a lot. My one flaw with this project is that I completely underestimated exactly what was being asked of me and I genuinely believe I still encountered too much work for the timeframe I had. I’m still learning important processes and this meant I found myself struggling with areas I wasn’t too experienced with. However I feel I have really overcome this and believe the work so far is at a standard to be proud of.
If this project is something I’m likely to re-experience in the near future I would most certainly know that learning and producing something like this is time consuming and often tedious and so allowing myself more time would be highly necessary.
I also feel confident with working for a client now. This was all new to me and I really didn’t know what to expect, but Chris’s character and enthusiasm has meant that I have thoroughly enjoyed working for him and still feel immensely honoured to have produced this brand new 18th Century costume for him.
It’s really unfortunate that I’m having to submit this work as a working progress. I really hoped that it would be finished for the proposed deadline, however it has been vital that I don’t rush this and technically Chris doesn’t need it until the end of June so I still have a good month to get everything finished to perfection. I believe I have submitted an efficient amount of work when considering problems I have encountered and I only have last minute things to finish and decoration to apply and I am more than happy to spend the next month doing it if it is necessary.
Over all a thoroughly enjoyed project which has experienced ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, taught me an awful lot, and left both myself and the client happy with the result.
When the project started I was very enthusiastic and extremely excited to get the ball rolling. I started doing some general 18th Century research very early on in order to prepare myself for the upcoming months. I was in regular contact with Chris Brown via phone and e-mail and his enthusiasm really encouraged me to make a flying start with the project.
The first week of the project was when I had my first tutorial with Graham and we discussed exactly what I should do to get me started efficiently. To begin with I had happily taken on the task of making a costume for Chris and replica costume for his 11 year old son Eddie. However after a lot of researching, it became quite apparent to me that it really was too much work for me to take on board and accomplish successfully in the nine weeks available. This was when I decided to ask a course mate if they would like to work alongside me and produce the smaller costume. My course mate Kelly had decided to change from design to making for this unit, and so when I suggested it to her, we both believed it would be the perfect challenge for her to find her feet in making again.
Kelly and myself had a meeting with Chris and his son Eddie in the first week of the project. We had both collected a sufficient amount of research to show to the both of them and the four of us felt very confident about the entire unit by the time the meeting had finished. I asked Chris exactly what it was he was expecting from a brand new costume and made a list of requirements and specific features that Chris really wanted. This allowed the project to have a flying start and we began pattern drafting straight away.
I have drafted patterns for all the making units over the past two years now and I really was feeling more and more confident about it this time round. The biggest learning curve this time was working alongside Kelly who had to produce patterns on a much smaller scale. We had to work very closely so that the patterns were identical but on two completely different scales. I think we learned a lot from one another and it was obvious that the team work really contributed to getting the patterns drafted in good time.
I was well on my way with producing the toile and creating my own time schedule really helped me to keep up to date with everything I was doing. This was also something that has benefited me throughout the project. Time management has always been a slight flaw of mine and so I set myself the challenge to follow my own strict timetable. I didn’t feel too confident about achieving this but I’m really pleased to say that I seem to have overcome this challenge and not failed once with this task.
As always I did encounter some problems along the way, the biggest one being the most inconvenient; falling ill. This really did throw a spanner in the works so to speak and unfortunately I fell behind pretty fast. However as soon as recovery was present I wasted no time and got myself straight back into it. By this time the toile fitting had taken place and I had a very successful result and felt confident once again about producing a really good quality costume.
Other lessons learned came from further practicing. Dyeing fabric was another big accomplishment, I’ve felt for a long time that this was something I needed to practice more often, and so when it came to dyeing some expensive Moleskin I believed this to be the perfect opportunity to perfect my skills and now it’s done, I’m feeling confident that I did.
What really helped me with this project was the fact I had made something quite similar to this for Concepts In Context unit. The coat was of a similar cut so I began to understand the period more and more and how features such as pleats should be constructed professionally. However, the processes I used for that unit were nowhere near as complex and precise as what I’ve had to do this time round. When it came to things like linings, I found myself quite frustrated with being able to accomplish it to the best of my abilities. I appreciated Graham’s methods and was eager to learn and practice them the correct way. However this meant yet another learning curve and so the actual process was very time consuming for me and I found myself behind schedule again. Now the lining is fitted and finished I am really pleased with the precision and care I have taken over it, the one thing I have had to keep telling myself is that this isn’t ‘Panto’ and in no respects can be rushed. Never before have I individually made for a client and so I found myself constantly reminding myself just how important it is to use my time effectively and produce work of a very high standard.
Chris would like to think that he will be wearing this costume for the next 5-10 years and so it is vital that every stitch I make is precise, accurate, and strong.
Working for a client is undoubtedly the biggest learning curve for me. Looking at the work and knowing I’m not creating it for myself was hard, very hard, and so I wasn’t able to meet just my own expectations but also those of Chris, my coursemate Kelly and my unit leaders. I have felt incredibly under pressure with this costume. People have recognised me as the maker for the town crier and so this is hugely important to Chris and the community and the university as they have funded the entire project.
This added pressure did unfortunately result in time loss and lack of confidence, but visualising the end result in my mind has always picked me up again and encouraged me to do my upmost best.
Working with my chosen fabrics has been really interesting and again I have learned a lot. My one flaw with this project is that I completely underestimated exactly what was being asked of me and I genuinely believe I still encountered too much work for the timeframe I had. I’m still learning important processes and this meant I found myself struggling with areas I wasn’t too experienced with. However I feel I have really overcome this and believe the work so far is at a standard to be proud of.
If this project is something I’m likely to re-experience in the near future I would most certainly know that learning and producing something like this is time consuming and often tedious and so allowing myself more time would be highly necessary.
I also feel confident with working for a client now. This was all new to me and I really didn’t know what to expect, but Chris’s character and enthusiasm has meant that I have thoroughly enjoyed working for him and still feel immensely honoured to have produced this brand new 18th Century costume for him.
It’s really unfortunate that I’m having to submit this work as a working progress. I really hoped that it would be finished for the proposed deadline, however it has been vital that I don’t rush this and technically Chris doesn’t need it until the end of June so I still have a good month to get everything finished to perfection. I believe I have submitted an efficient amount of work when considering problems I have encountered and I only have last minute things to finish and decoration to apply and I am more than happy to spend the next month doing it if it is necessary.
Over all a thoroughly enjoyed project which has experienced ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, taught me an awful lot, and left both myself and the client happy with the result.
Monday 17 May 2010
Week 10 Review
The trimmings and decoration have ARRIVED!!!! The excitement Kelly and myself experienced the morning the package was delivered was actually deafening but yes all of the decoration is now with us and it looks even more exquisite in the flesh, we are both really pleased and we know Chris and Eddie will be excited to see it all. The decoration has come from Fucotex and wasn't that cheap, not cheap at all actually, but it's here now and it really is going to finish both costumes beautifully. Imagining them both finished with all the trimmings is what has been keeping me going this week. I fell ill again over the weekend and as a last and reluctant resort have accepted the offer of a weeks extension from Adele. I really didn't want this extension, especially as I had managed to get myself back on track the last time, but realistically speaking I've unfortunately had too much time out of the project due to illness and there is no chance of it being finished for the original deadline. This has really got me down this week knowing that I can't progress enough to get it finished, however I'm seeing it as a blessing in disguise as at the end of the day this is a very important costume which is being funded by the university and it will be what my client has been wanting for a long time now. So I no longer want to let the timeframe interfere with what I'm doing. Technically I have until the beginning of July to get the costume completely finished and I think it's entirely necessary for me to use that time wisely is order to produce the perfect costume and provide exactly what has been asked of me to a high standard. I've also told myself that looking back on the past 9 weeks, I've learned so much and practiced skills I already have, yes this week has been a bit of a blow and I've encountered some problems a long the way which have unfortunately compromised the project a little. I now have one more week until I submit this unit and I'm going to work as best I can to hand in exactly what I intended on handing in, however both Graham and Rebecca have told me this must not be rushed and I think it is wise to take their advice.
Sunday 9 May 2010
Week 9 Review
So I've now just returned to Bournemouth after spending the weekend at home in Cornwall. I've managed to do a little more ongoing research this week as well as cracking on with getting the costume together for the final fitting. Again the costume is still very much a blank canvas but again the fitting on Thursday was successful and everything fitted fine. The only issues I had that I'm still a bit unsure about is some of the design features. Graham was away in Istanbul this week so was absent from the fitting. Katerina stood in for Graham and seeing as she made Chris's current costume, it did put my mind at rest a little bit. What with this being the last fitting before completing the costume I was feeling quite nervous about it all. However design ideas that were discussed with Graham during the first fitting were replaced with others at the 2nd fitting and so I was and still am feeling quite confused about it all. The main issue being the breeches, I'm trying to keep them as historically accurate as possible as well as making them to how Chris wants them, but things were discussed at this fitting that hadn't come up before, such as pleating the fabric at the knees and applying a shaped waistband. I've been having to constantly tell myself that I must always meet the needs of the client and only the needs of the era in question when necessary. I'm just struggling with it a bit now, have found myself at a bit of a dead end...NEED GRAHAM!
Friday 7 May 2010
SDP Final Fitting
Today Chris came to the studio for the final costume fitting. I was lucky enough to have Katerina assist me at the fitting. Seeing as she made his current costume she was more than happy to stand in for Graham.
Again the fitting was a success which was a relief seeing as there hadn't been a lot of tuition avaiable this week so I had to work completely independantly and use my inititive to conquer any problems I came across.Only a couple of cms needed to be taken in on the breeches, otherwise the fit was absolutely fine and Chris felt comfortable.
The waistcoat needed to be taken in at front and back - I expected this though as I allowed extra when cutting the fabric. Chris was happy with the length to the back of the waistcoat. To be a little more historically correct, the back must be shorter than the front, however Chris wanted it at a fuller length for when he's not wearing the frock coat.
I allowed a lot of allowance on the length of the waistcoat in order to get an official opinion from Chris. We settled for just above the knee as expected, this also works with the period of the costume.
Chris liked the look and weight of the fabric - the decoration will finish it really nicely.
The frock coat was a really lovely fit today and I'm really pleased. It has been a struggle working with so much fabric so I'm glad there are no alterations to make here.
I decided mutually with Chris again about the length and we agreed on about 3-4inches longer than the waistcoat.
The sleeve went in really nicely and Chris felt spacious in it. I'd widened the sleeves a lot to accommodate for Chris's crutches. The crutch fit inside the sleeve un-noticably and again Chris felt there was plenty of room to move comfortably with.
The Cb seam had to be taken in ever so slightly in order to be that little bit more fitted.
All the pleats sat well and fell correctly.
Over all it was a very successful fitting, a bit long winded,it took longer than it should have done but at the same time I didn't want to rush it and risk missing something.
I allowed a lot of allowance on the length of the waistcoat in order to get an official opinion from Chris. We settled for just above the knee as expected, this also works with the period of the costume.
Chris liked the look and weight of the fabric - the decoration will finish it really nicely.
The frock coat was a really lovely fit today and I'm really pleased. It has been a struggle working with so much fabric so I'm glad there are no alterations to make here.
I decided mutually with Chris again about the length and we agreed on about 3-4inches longer than the waistcoat.
The sleeve went in really nicely and Chris felt spacious in it. I'd widened the sleeves a lot to accommodate for Chris's crutches. The crutch fit inside the sleeve un-noticably and again Chris felt there was plenty of room to move comfortably with.
The Cb seam had to be taken in ever so slightly in order to be that little bit more fitted.
All the pleats sat well and fell correctly.
Over all it was a very successful fitting, a bit long winded,it took longer than it should have done but at the same time I didn't want to rush it and risk missing something.
Sunday 2 May 2010
Week 8 Review
This week has been all about cutting out our top fabric. The week hasn't been too much of a learning week, I've just concentrated on getting all of my pieces cut and tacked ready for the next stage. I took care over cutting the Melton and the Moleskin, making sure the grain was lying in the same direction for every piece. Dying the Moleskin has been tedious this week however I've never worked with Moleskin before and seeing how well it takes to dye has been really interesting. The decision was made to dye the breeches a more neutral golden colour to stick with the theme of Dorset colours and then match the waistcoat to the breeches instead of the frock coat. So the plan was to get the breeches looking a nice shade of antique gold. It took a total of 3 dye trials to get the right colour. After the 3rd test both Kelly and me were happy with the tone we had achieved. Adding only the smallest amount of dye every time made it a very tedious and time consuming process. However after the 3rd dye we dried the fabric to realise it was still actually quite patchy, there was just too much fabric to fit in the dye vat evenly. However after 3 dyes and numerous washes it was quite apparent that the fabric hadn't shrunk so a mutual decision was made to cut the pattern pieces and then dye for a 4th time in order to get an evenly applied colour. Other than that the week has gone pretty well. Note to self being if I were a little more confident with dyeing it may have been a much quicker process..more practice needed in this area I think.
Friday 30 April 2010
Road Trip to Hansons and Fabric Warehouse
Today Kelly and I ventured to Hanson's Fabrics in Sturminster Newton. I've shopped there many times before and have always been impressed with their selection of buttons. I spoke to Chris prior to the trip and he gave me free reign on the detail to the costume. Kelly and me re-visited our historical research but also considered detail from a military perspective. We searched the store for something plain and bold yet striking to the eye and we found the perfect buttons. The buttons came in different sizes as well so I got the largest size so that the two costumes will stay in proportion with one another. I then thought a slightly more detailed button would be nice for the waistcoat seeing as it won't have as much embroidery work as the coat and again we found a nice authentic button available in different sizes.
On the way back to Bournemouth we stopped off at Fabric Warehouse in Poole to collect the top fabric for the waistcoats. I'd already collected a sample and studied it with Kelly and we mutually decided that it was an ideal fabric for the waistcoat. Chris's current waistcoat has a large pattern on it and we decided with Chris that we would have to work with a plainer fabric with a small or even no pattern so that Eddie won't get lost in it.
Now we have all of our top fabric and have detail to add the project is getting even more exciting and Chris is eager to see the costume as a finished piece.
On the way back to Bournemouth we stopped off at Fabric Warehouse in Poole to collect the top fabric for the waistcoats. I'd already collected a sample and studied it with Kelly and we mutually decided that it was an ideal fabric for the waistcoat. Chris's current waistcoat has a large pattern on it and we decided with Chris that we would have to work with a plainer fabric with a small or even no pattern so that Eddie won't get lost in it.
Now we have all of our top fabric and have detail to add the project is getting even more exciting and Chris is eager to see the costume as a finished piece.
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